Optical cigarette lighter



u 26, 1958 J. c. E VAN$ 2,849,585

OPTICAL CIGARETTE LIGHTER F iled Nov. 8, 195a z Sheets-Sheet 1 If 21 4 II I I I Fig. 2.

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Aug. 26, 1958 c EVANS 2,849,585

' OPTICAL CIGARETTE LIGHTER I Filed Nov. a, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 0 C 0z7 29 2 2 2 29 M 90 o H I 41 t 7,, 15 IN 34 I15 51 11 65 A 67 H Isa-Q,

United. rates OPTICAL CIGARETTE LIGHTER John C. Evans, Rochester, N. Y.,assignor to Tropel, Inca, Fairport, N. Y., a corporation of New YorkThis invention relates to a cigarette lighter in which the tobacco ofthe cigarette is brought to ignition temperature by the concentrated andfocused rays of light from a source of illumination, in somewhat the waythat ignition is sometimes achieved by concentrating the rays ofsunlight by means of a lens or burning glass. Hence the lighter may bereferred to as an optical cigarette lighter.

An object of the invention is the provision of a generally improved andmore satisfactory cigarette lighter.

Another object is the provision of a cigarette lighter which is sodilferent both in appearance and in function from conventional lightersthat it may be regarded as a novelty, thus exciting the interest andcuriosity of bystanders.

Still another object is the provision of an electrically operatedcigarette lighter so designed as to require only a low current input,and to be safe in normal use against accidental contact of a hot elementwith anything not intended to be ignited.

A still further object is the provision of a cigarette lighter sodesigned and constructed as to be relatively safe against misuse ordangerous use by children or pranksters.

These and other desirable objects may be attained in the mannerdisclosed as an illustrative embodiment of the invention in thefollowing description and in the accompanying drawings forming a parthereof, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a cigarette lighter in accordance with apreferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation oredge view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a section taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1,looking downwardly;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line 4-4 of Fig.2;

Fig. 5 is a section approximately on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, but withthe cover raised; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged axial section through the condensing orconcentrating lens assembly.

The same reference numerals throughout the several views indicate thesame parts.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, there is a base member 11adapted to rest upon any level surface such as a table, from which risetwo side walls 13 and 15, located substantially parallel to each otherand of irregular polygonal shape as seen in Fig. l, the general shape ofthe lighter constituting the first element of novelty initiallyattracting the interest of the onlooker.

Extending between the rear edges of the side walls is a rear wall 17(Figs. 3 and 4). A lower front wall section 19 and an upper front wallsection 21, both extending between the side walls l3 and 15, arearranged approximately at right-angles to each other and at about 45degrees to the rear wall 17, as seen in Fig. 4, but terminate somewhatshort of the corner of intersection of the planes of these two wallswith each other, the gap at the corner being filled with a wall member23 approximately parallel to the rear wall 17 and of thicker and moresubstantial material than the rather thin sheet material from which theasissss ice other walls are formed. This wall 23 contains the aperture25 into which the cigarette to be ignited is thrust endwise.

A top wall 27 is of foraminous material, preferably perforated sheetmetal, and is hinged near its rear edge on a pivot 29, so that it may beswung upwardly to obtain access to the interior of the device forreplacement of the electric bulb if it becomes burned out. Theperforations in the top wall 27 allow escape of hot air. Circulation ofcooling air through the device is possible because of an air inletopening 31 (Fig. 4) at the bottom of the rear wall 17.

Within the casing or enclosure constituted by the walls above mentioned,there is afixed partition 41 arranged approximately parallel to the rearwall 17. Part of the cooling air which flows in through the opening 31and out through the perforated member 27 circulates through the frontcompartment by passing through an inlet opening 52 at the bottom and anoutlet opening 44 at the top of the partition 41. From the fixedpartition 41 there is supported a bracket 43 on which is mounted a lampbase 45 preferably of the bayonet type, to receive a light bulb 47having a high intensity concentrated filament, such as a lamp bulb ofthe kind commonly used in a motion picture projector or slide projector.Such a lamp bulb has preferably a plurality of coil filaments, as shownin Fig. 4, with the axes of the coils lying in a plane.

Supported in an opening in the partition 41, in alinement with thefilament of the bulb 4'7 and with the cigarette insertion aperture 25,is a lens mount '51 externally threaded at 53 to receive a pair of nuts55' and 57 which engage on the faces of the partition 41 to hold thelens mount stationarily in place. In the mounting tube 31 is a condenserlens assembly comprising a set or series of lenses of suitable kind,such as a central biconvex lens 61 located between two piano-convex lenselements 63 and 65 held in position by split rings 67 and as located ininternal grooves of the mount 51. The equivalent focal length of thelens combination is such that an image of the filament or filaments ofthe bulb will be formed, at substantially unit magnification, on the endof the cigarette placed in the proper lighting position as furtherdescribed below. The condensing lens system has high light gatheringability (having a relative aperture of preferably about i: 1.0) thusproviding a very high illumination in the image of the lamp filamentformed by this lens system on the end of the cigarette. Theconcentration of the light and consequently the igniting power of thedevice is increased by a small concave mirror 71 mounted behind the bulb47 on the optical axis of the lens assembly, the mirror being held by ametal spider '73 at the top of an upstanding bracket 75 secured to themain bracket 43. A sheet 77 (Figs. 3 and 4) of heat insulating materialsuch as asbestos paper, extends around the back of the bulb and mirrorassembly and forwardly at both sides thereof, up to the partition 41.

A already indicated, the cigarette aperture 25 is alined with theoptical axis of the lens assembly. A guide tube fill (Figs. 3 and 4)extends inwardly for a short distance from the plate 23, the apertureand the internal diameter of the tube 81 being sui'licient to receiveeasily the external diameter of a cigarette.

Electric current is supplied to the lamp by means of a fiexible electriccord 83 equipped with an ordinary plug 85 which may be plugged into anyelectric receptacle outlet. One of the two conductors in the cord 83goes direct to one of the connections of the lamp base 45, as at 8'7,Fig. 4. The other conductor 89 is connected to the other side of thelamp base through a miniature push Contact switch at of the kindsometimes called a microswitch mounted on the partition 41 and having anupstanding plunger 932 spring biased in an upward direction, the switchbeing normally off and being closed by depressing the plunger 93 againstits light spring.

Mounted on and extending forwardly from the partition 41, just above theswitch 91, is a bracket 95 comprising two arms spaced laterally fromeach other, between which arms there is a pivot pin 97 serving as abearing for a switch operating arm having a rear end 99 which overliesthe switch plunger 93 and an upwardly extending end lltll which normallylies just behind and in contact with the rear end of the cigarette guidetube 81. The upper part of this switch operating arm M31 is providedwith an opening 163 concentric with the optical axis and of a diameterslightly less than the outside diameter of a standard cigarette shown at165. Thus when a cigarette is inserted endwise through the guide tube81, the advancing end of the cigarette will engage the switch operatingarm 1M and will not pass through the opening 103 because this opening istoo small to permit the cigarette to pass through. The rearward thruston the cigarette 165 will accordingly displace the switch operating arm101 rearwardly, from the full line position shown in Fig. 4 to thedotted line position, thereby depressing the switch plunger 93 to closethe switch, complete the electric circuit, and light the filament of thebulb 47.

The cigarette is held in the rearward position for a moment, and thelight from the bulb is concentrated by the lens assembly onto the end ofthe cigarette, the lens assembly being designed to concentrate the beamthrough the opening 1B3 of the switch operating arm 101 so that theconcentrated light reaches the tobacco within the end of the cigarette.in a moment the tobacco reaches ignition temperature, and the user,drawing on the outer end of the cigarette, obtains a light. As thecigarette is withdrawn axially from the opening 25 and guide tube 81,the switch operating arm 101 can move forwardly again and themicroswitch 91 opens, cutting oil the supply of electric current to thebulb.

To add to the attractiveness of the novelty, observation openings illare provided in both side walls 13 and 15, opposite the positionoccupied by the rear or ignited end of the cigarette when inserted intothe lighter. These openings 131 are both covered by transparent plates113, preferably tinted to avoid any danger of injury to the eyes bystray light of such concentrated form. Nevertheless the observer canlook in through the windows 111 to watch the lighting action when acigarette is thrust into the lighter.

In the structure shown in Fig. 4, it will be noted that the twofilaments of the light bulb are oriented in such manner that they arespaced from each other in a direction along the optical axis, ratherthan in a direction transverse to the optical axis. Therefore the imagesof these filaments will occupy positions collectively having asubstantial dimension any axial direction or depth direction at the endof the cigarette. This is highly desirable, because then the exactposition. of the end of the cigarette (in a longitudinal direction alongthe optical axis) is not critical, but may vary to a reasonable extentand still lie within a sufficiently highly illuminated area to causeignition of the tobacco. For similar reasons the lamp filamentspreferably'have substantial diameter clined to such plane, at anydesired angle up to about 45 degrees. Thus different parts of thefilament, beingat diflferent distances from the lens system, will beimaged i in depth on the end of the cigarette, providing greatertolerance in axial positioning of the cigarette when it is to belighted. The oblique/tilting of the filament, or the use of two slightlyspaced filaments, or both of these features, thus serve to increase thedepth, in an axial or longitudinal direction, of the area in which thetemperature will be sufiiciently high to ignite the tobacco.

Although an incandescent light bulb has been mentioned above as thepreferred source, it will be understood by those skilled in optics thatany compact artiscurce of radiant energy may be used. Thus for example aconcentrated arc may be used, or a glow-bar unit, in place of theincandescent light bulb.

It is seen from the foregoing disclosure that the above mentionedobjects of the invention are well fulfilled. It is to be understood thatthe foregoing disclosure is given by way of illustrative example'only,rather than by way of limitation, and that without departing from theinvention, the details may be varied within the scope of the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

l. A cigarette lighter comprising a casing having an air inlet openingnear its bottom, a heated air outlet near its top, and a cigarettereceiving aperture into which a cigarette may be thrust endwise, anelectric light bulb within said casing having a filament locatedapproximately on the axis of a cigarette inserted into said aperture, areflector mounted within said casing on the far side of said bulb fromsaid aperture, a condenser lens mounted in said casing between said bulband said aperture, in position to concentrate and focus light rays fromsaid filament onto an end of a cigarette inserted into said casingthrough said aperture, and means operated by inertion of a cigaretteinto said casing for lighting said lament.

2. A construction as defined in claim 1, in which said means includes amicroswitch biased to a normally open position and closed by insertionof a cigarette to a predetermined position in said casing.

3. A construction as defined in claim 2, in which said means furtherincludes a switch operating arm having a portion engaging saidmicroswitch to close it and another portion extending across the path oftravel of a cigarette into said casing, to be displaced to a switchclosing position by contact with a cigarette inserted into said casing.

4. A construction as defined in claim 3, in which said other portion ofsaid switch operating arm lies across the path of travel of a cigarettebeing inserted into said casing and has an opening alined with the axisof said cigarette and of smaller diameter than the cigarette, theconcentrated and focused light rays reaching the cigarette through saidopening.

5. A construction as defined in claim 1, in which said casing includestwo outer walls arranged approximately at a right angle to each other,and in which said aperture.

is located approximately at a corner between said walls and with theaxis of the aperture at an angle to both of.

said walls.

6. A cigarette lighter comprising an electric light bulb, lens means forconcentrating and focusing light from. said bulb at a predeterminedlocation, means for gtiiding a cigarette to a position in which one endthereof will be at said location, and means controlled by movement of acigarette to said position for lighting said bulb so that the lightfocused on said end of said cigarette will ignite the same.

7. An optical cigarette lighter comprising means for said location toignite said cigarette.

8. A construction as defined in claim 7, in which said source of energycomprises an electric light bulb of the projector bulb type having arelatively concentrated fila-- ment further including a normally openelectric switch for controlling flow of electric current to saidfilament, and a switch operating arm having a portion lying in the pathof travel of a cigarette toward said location to be displaced by contactwith the cigarette to close the switch.

9. A construction as defined in claim 7 in which said lens includes aplurality of lens components.

10. A construction as defined in claim 7, in which said lens includestwo plane-convex lens components and a bi-convex lens component locatedbetween and in axial alinement with said plano-convex components.

11. A construction as defined in claim 8, in which said filament hasdifierent portions spaced at materially different distances from saidlens, so that said lens will image said filament in substantial depth inthe approximate location of the end of the cigarette to be lighted.

12. A construction as defined in claim 8, in which said filament hasdilferent portions spaced laterally from the optical axis, so that saidlens will image said filament over a substantial area of the end of thecigarette to be lighted.

13. A cigarette lighter comprising a compact source of radiant energy,lens means for concentrating and focusing energy from said source at apredetermined location, means for guiding a cigarette to a position inwhich one end thereof will be at said location, and means controlled bymovement of a cigarette to said position for energizing said source sothat the radiant energy focused on said end of said cigarette willignite the same.

14. An optical cigarette lighter comprising means for guiding acigarette for axial movement to and from a given location, a source ofradiant energy, means including a reflector and a lensfor focusingradiant energy from said source onto an end of a cigarette in saidlocation to ignite said cigarette, said source having different portionsspaced at materially different distances from said lens, whereby saidlens will image said source portions in substantial depth at saidlocation, and means for energizing said source in response to travel ofsaid cigarette toward said location and for deenergizing said source inresponse to travel away from said location.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,981,330 Rivier Nov. 20, 1934 2,244,269 Springborn June 3, 19412,364,730 Leskin Dec. 12, 1944 2,466,430 Hutchison Apr. 5, 19492,733,331 Call Ian. 31, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 220,922 Great Britain Mar.26, 1925

